Chico >> No action was taken on the proposal to add a parking fee to cars using upper Bidwell Park, but more people are hearing about the idea and weighing in.

In previous meetings, few if anyone from the public commented on the idea of a $1 per visit per car fee under consideration by the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission.

At Monday’s monthly meeting, the commission heard from three residents, two of whom didn’t like it, and one — a former park commissioner — who thought it was utterly appropriate. A survey will be distributed starting in February for public reaction.

“We discussed this in the mid-90s,” former commissioner Tom Barrett told the commission, which met in the Old Municipal Building since the council chambers are under reconstruction.

“It’s an impact fee, and I’m OK with that,” said Barrett, who recommended that the fee be kept simple, with few exceptions.

As originally proposed, the fee would not be applied to seniors or to disabled drivers with placards. There also was a discussion about an annual pass, when the commission started discussing the fee last year.

Behind the fee was the need to raise money for improvements to upper park related to cars. It could help pay for road work and to add parking.

Should the commission decide to support a parking fee, the ultimate decision rests with the City Council.

Parks and Natural Resource Manager Linda Herman noted that city data showed more than 413,000 vehicles entered upper park over 2017, and monthly use ranged from a low around 25,000 vehicles to a high of more than 40,000.

Barrett suggested the fee be $2 or even $3 per vehicle.

“Cars impact the road. It’s a good idea,” he said.

But two other speakers didn’t agree.

Mark Lance noted that the fee is a way to raise money, which “doesn’t make the government look good,” forcing park users to pay fees in addition to their taxes.

“You’re not trying to control the amount of people going in to use the park, right?” Another speaker said the proposed fee would exclude people who couldn’t afford to pay the fee, and that would go against the founding principles the Bidwells had for the park.

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Commissioners didn’t add anything new to the discussion, but Herman said she hoped a public survey on the matter would be going out in early February. She said the survey would ask the public several questions about the proposed fee.

It would be on the city’s website, be handed out in Bidwell Park, as well as be distributed at public events like the farmers markets.

The commission will pick up the discussion once the surveys are returned and answers analyzed. She said the surveys would be out for at least a month in order to get a broad response.

Asked by the commission to gather information on the cost of the program, she noted that a ticket-issuing kiosk costs about $10,000, plus maintenance. There would be other costs associated with using a credit card for the fee.

Herman also suggested that any of the park’s lease holders be given passes to provide to their members.

As part of the same discussion, the commission is looking to close lower Bidwell Park earlier. Many parts of the park are closed between midnight and 5 a.m.

Closing the park earlier, the staff noted, was to provide police with a law that could zero in on illegal or unacceptable behavior in the park.

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Laura Urseny is a business and general news reporter, as well as a columnist. Reach her at lurseny@chicoer.com or follow Laura on Twitter: @LauraUrseny Reach the author at lurseny@chicoer.com
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